Category: Windows

Archive

WinRAR 7 Beta: new features and backwards compatibility

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

RARlab released WinRAR 7 Beta today. This new version of the popular archiver comes with important changes, some of which affect backwards compatibility.

Note: the new version is released as beta. Don’t install and run beta software on production systems. Beta releases are ideal for testing purposes.

With that out of the way: you may download WinRAR 7 from the official website. The graphical user interface version is available for Windows; Linux and macOS devices may use a command line version.

Existing users may download and install the latest WinRAR over an existing installation.

WinRAR 7.0

Selecting Help > About WinRAR displays the current version.

WinRAR 7.0: Dictionary Size changes

The new release improves the handling of dictionary sizes in WinRAR. The new limit is 64 gigabytes, but it depends on the physical available memory on the device WinRAR is run on.

Any dictionary size may be selected in the new version, which means that you are no longer limit to certain values.

Dictionary sizes play a role when creating archives. Larger dictionary sizes may improve the compression rate “for large files with distant repeat blocks” according to the developers. Files like virtual disk images or collections of similar large files may benefit from this.

The new options introduce a backwards compatibility issue. Only WinRAR 7.0 can unpack archives with 4 GB or higher dictionary sizes.

This is an issue under certain circumstances, as users may need to upgrade to the new version to extract certain formats. Windows 11’s RAR extraction capabilities may not support this either in the beginning.

WinRAR displays a prompt to the user if the dictionary size exceeds the “Maximum dictionary size allowed to extract” preference. Select Options > Settings to change the value, which is set to 4 GB by default. There you may also set the sizes you want to see in the create archive menu.

The Command Prompt version, furthermore, blocks unpack events if the dictionary size exceeds 4 GB. The use of the parameters -md and mx allow the unpacking. MD and MDX allow setting the dictionary size; the latter is applied to the extraction only.

Other changes in the new WinRAR

Exhaustive Search and Long Range Search in WinRAR 7.0.0

The changelog lists other changes besides those already mentioned.

Another change that affects backwards compatibility is that WinRAR 7.0 can’t create RAR 4.x archives anymore. Compression is not affected and most users may not need to create this type of archives specifically.

New search algorithms may help improve the compression ratio for certain data sets. WinRAR’s compression ratio may improve for “big text files” when the feature is turned on. Downside is that it will increase memory usage and may reduce the compression speed.

In addition, exhaustive search may improve the compression ratio even further, but at the expense of speed.

WinRAR users may turn these features on or off under advanced compression parameters. Exhaustive search depends on Long Range Search, which means that it activates automatically.

Another useful feature is giving users control over “Mark of the Web”. This feature adds security zone information to files, which Widows and software may use for security purposes. Files may for instance load read-only, if they have the mark.

This functionality is found under Settings > Security.

Here is a short list of other important changes:

  • Option to enable Attributes column under Settings > File List > Columns.
  • Benchmark command supports exact number of threads and results copying to Clipboard.
  • New “remove redundant folders from extraction path” option in Settings > Paths.
  • Comments support Word Wrap now.
  • Maximum path length is now 65535 characters.
  • The archive formats .bz2, .lz, .tar.bz2, .tar.gz, .tar.lz, .tar.zs show dictionary sizes now.
  • The new switch -ol blocks archiving and extracting symbolic links.

You can check out all of the entries here.

Closing Words

WinRAR 7.0 is a major new release. It improves the handling of dictionary sizes, but this may lead to some backwards compatibility issues.

Now You: do you use WinRAR?

Disable OneDrive’s Back up folders on this PC feature

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft Onedrive’s back up up folders on this PC feature may transfer files from system folders to Microsoft cloud servers automatically.

OneDrive is integrated natively into Windows 11. Users who sign-in with a Microsoft account, which Microsoft encourages, get access to OneDrive. File Explorer lists a OneDrive folder and there is an icon in the system tray.

One of the integrated features is the option to back up files to OneDrive automatically. This feature is limited to system folders — Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Music and Videos — similarly to what the new Windows Backup app offers.

These folders are protected when backed up to OneDrive, according to Microsoft.

Tip: the easiest way to stop this is to sign-in to Windows with a local account.

Problems related to OneDrive’s automatic backup feature

In an ideal world, backups would only happen automatically when users give their ok. User reports on the Internet suggest that OneDrive’s backup feature may transfer files without user consent sometimes.

I confirmed this behavior on one of my PCs. I only noticed it because OneDrive’s occupied storage increased from less than 1 Gigabyte to nearly 25 Gigabytes over night. Never enabled automatic backups on the Windows 11 version 22H2 system.

Another issue is related to this. Automatic updates may push files in the cloud that OneDrive may flag. This does not necessarily have to be illegal content; false positives happen, and they may lead to temporary or permanent account bans.

How to manage OneDrive folder backups

onedrive back-up folders on this pc

Here is a step-by-step guide to manage automatic folder backups:

  1. Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the System Tray area of Windows.
  2. Select the Help & Settings icon and then Settings from the menu.
  3. Under Sync and backup, select Manage backup.
  4. OneDrive lists the five system folders in the window that opens.
  5. Toggle one of the folders to Off to stop automatic backups.
  6. OneDrive displays a “where do you want to keep your files” prompt afterwards. Select “This computer only” and then continue.
  7. Select OK to confirm the change when the prompt appears.

Selecting this computer only stops automated backups of the selected folder to OneDrive. Repeat the process for all other folders that are set to backup at the time.

The Sync and backup menu’s preference “save photos and videos from devices” lists another automatic backup option. It transfers photos and videos from connected devices, e.g. cameras or smartphones, to OneDrive when enabled.

There is also “save screenshots I capture to OneDrive”, which transfers screenshots to OneDrive.

Closing Words

It appears that OneDrive may sometimes upload files to the cloud automatically on Windows 11 devices. This is a problem as it may lead to all kinds of issues.

Windows 11 users who sign-in with a Microsoft account may want to check the sync settings regularly because of that.

Windows 11

Is Windows 11 a Flop?

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft released its Windows 11 operating system in late 2021 to the public. Internal data, viewed by Windows Central, suggests that the operating system passed the 400 million monthly active devices mark this year.

Microsoft has not released information on monthly active users to the public. Third-party sites such as Steam’s hardware survey or Statcounter show a slow rise of Windows 11 since its release.

Windows 11 rose from 13.61% in September 2022 to 23.64% in September 2024 on Statcounter. Windows 10, on the other hand, nearly kept its commanding market share lead. The operating system dropped from 71.88% to 71.62% in the period.

Things look a bit better on Steam. Windows 11 has a share of about 37%, but it is still trailing Windows 10’s 57%.

Most of Windows 11’s gains appear to come from Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1. Microsoft ended support for both operating systems in January 2023 and both have tanked since then.

Windows 11’s rise compared to Windows 10’s

It took Windows 11 two years to reach 400 million devices. While that would sound impressive for many systems, it is not, when compared to Windows 10.

Windows 10 managed to reach that number in a year’s time and it even managed to cross the 1 billion devices mark in 2020.

Granted, the underlying situation was different. Microsoft pushed Windows 10 with free upgrade offers from Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1 devices. Users could upgrade their devices for free. Not all did, but the free upgrade offer certainly helped push the new operating system into the market.

Microsoft failed to reach the ambitious 1 billion device goal.

When Microsoft released Windows 11, it still let users upgrade for free to the new operating system. Initially, users of Windows 7, 8, 8.1 and 10 could upgrade to free. This changed recently, when Microsoft eliminated the option for Windows 7 and 8/8.1 systems and product keys.

What kept Windows 11 back from rising as quickly as Windows 10 was a change in system requirements. Microsoft changed the operating system’s minimum requirements, which meant that older systems could not upgrade to Windows 11 directly.

More or less any device purchased before 2018 could not be upgraded to Windows 11 using official means.

The end of Windows 7 and 8/8.1

End of Windows 7 and 8/8.1 support in January 2023 benefitted Windows 10 and 11 similarly. Windows 7 and 8/8.1 devices were upgraded to Windows 10, which was still possible at the time.

New devices, bought by Windows 7 and 8/8.1 users benefitted Windows 11 more than it helped Windows 10.

The vast majority of Windows devices are sold with Windows 11 nowadays.

Microsoft believes that Windows 11 devices will reach the 500 million mark in 2024.

Windows Central cites unnamed sources at Microsoft that said the the company’s expectations regarding Windows 11 were “set rather modestly” and that these have been surpassed consistently.

2025 is the year decisions need to be made

Windows 10 will reach end of support in 2025, at least for consumer editions. It will be interesting to see what users will do then. Some may upgrade their devices to Windows 11, or Windows 12, if the rumors of a new operating system are correct.

Many users may not be able to upgrade, because of the system requirements. It is unreasonable to assume that all of these will purchase new Windows devices in 2025.

Some may continue to run Windows 10, even though the operating system is no longer supported by Microsoft. It is unlikely that Microsoft is going to introduce Extended Security Updates for consumers. It has not done so when Windows 7 reached end of support.

Windows 10 users could migrate their devices to Linux. It is a chance for the open source operating system, but solutions need to be created to make the migration as painless as possible.

Verdict: Flop or not

Microsoft may have had higher hopes for Windows 11, but this is disputed in the internal document according to Windows Central. The company has been tight lipped about sales and monthly active devices, and that often means that things are not as good as hoped.

400 million devices is a sizeable number on the other hand. All of these will likely get the option to upgrade to Windows 12, if the operating system is released.

In closing, Windows 11 is not a flop, but it is not a hit either.

Now You: do you run Windows on your devices?

Why are some Apps System Components in Windows 11?

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Native applications on Windows 11 will soon be divided into apps and system components. Microsoft introduced the change back in July in Insider builds and it looks as if it is going to roll out soon to stable versions of the operating system.

Windows 11 ships with a large number of apps. Some of these are classic apps, such as Paint, Notepad or Calculator. Others, including Game Bar and Phone Link, aren’t nearly as old. New apps are also introduced regularly.

Current versions of Windows 11 list all of these apps in a single listing under Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. Soon, some of these apps are moved to another location instead. It is located under Settings > System > System Components.

Microsoft announced the change back in July 2023. Back then, the company’s message focused on the Start Menu. It said:

Under All apps in the Start menu, Windows 11 system components will now show a “system” label. This change is beginning to roll out and so not all Insiders in the Dev Channel will see it right away.

System Components in Windows 11

System Components in Start

The following apps are tagged as system components in future versions of Windows 11.

  • Game Bar
  • Get Help
  • Microsoft Store
  • Phone Link
  • Tips
  • Windows Security

Twitter user Techosaurusrex discovered this and published two screenshots of the new menu.

Microsoft does not explain why it made the decision to separate this assortment of apps from the rest. Some of them fit the definition of a system app, for example, Get Help or Windows Security.

Others, especially Game Bar and Phone Link, look somewhat out of place here. What makes them a system component and apps like the Feedback Hub or Remote Desktop Connection not?

Clearly, Microsoft wants to distinguish this particular assortment of apps from the rest. Maybe, and this has not been confirmed by Microsoft, it is an attempt to make it difficult to remove these apps from the system. Or, at least highlight to users that these apps are more important than others, even if that may not be true for all of them.

Installed Apps Windows 11: can't uninstall

Note that the listed apps can’t be uninstalled in the Settings app even on today’s systems. Only Advanced Options are displayed when users select the three-dots menu next to these apps.

Microsoft could make more apps System Components in the future. Some of the apps listed as System in Start are not included (yet) in System Components in Settings. This is the case for instance for Get Help and File Explorer.

Not Microsoft’s only attempt to protect apps

The recently launched Windows Backup app is another example of a new approach to releasing apps for Windows. This app, which is not a real backup app by any definition, is not listed as an app.

When you try to uninstall it, you will notice that it is not listed in All Apps in the Settings. Microsoft made the decision to integrate it into an Experience Package. While it is possible to remove that, doing so will also remove other apps and features from the system.

Others have noticed this as well and no one seems to be particularly happy about this change.

To be fair, Microsoft announced plans in August 2023 to drop the blocking of uninstalls of several apps. These apps — Camera, Cortana, People, Photos and Remote Desktop — aren’t system components. Cortana is on its way out, but the other four apps remain a part of Windows in the foreseeable future.

Windows Backup is not a “real” backup solution

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft developed a new app for Windows 10 and 11, called Windows Backup, which is rolling out to systems that install the latest updates for these operating systems.

Previous backup options, such as File History, remain available for now.

The backup application uses Microsoft OneDrive to save some data. While that sounds like a good feature on paper, it is far away from that.

Windows Backup: the functionality

Windows Backup main interface

Windows users may run Windows Backup from the Start Menu. Open the Start Menu, type Windows Backup and select the result.

The application opens after a brief moment. It displays the “Let’s back up your PC” screen on start. The app lists the various backup elements in the middle, the estimated storage space on OneDrive, and back up and cancel buttons.

Apps, Settings, and Credentials are automatically transferred if the user is signed-in with a Microsoft account. Only the content listed under Folders is not.

Windows Backup lists just the special folders for backup there: Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos and Music. The app may omit some folders, especially if they don’t contain any user files. There is no option to select a custom folder for backup.

Each supported folder is listed with its size and a toggle to remove it from the task. A click on back up transfers the files to OneDrive.

The length of the process depends on the number of files in the selected folders. There is no option to restore files directly from the app. You need to open OneDrive, either on the local system or online, to access the files and restore them to the local system.

The “other” sources that backup uses

Windows Backup supports backing up information about apps, settings and credentials.

  • Remember installed apps and pinned app preferences.
  • Remember Windows settings and preferences: accessibility, language preferences and dictionary, other Windows settings, personalization.
  • Remember Wi-Fi networks and other passwords.

Here is what’s wrong with the Backup app

Windows users may only use the app if they sign-in with a Microsoft Account. Additionally, it can’t be used if Enterprise or Education accounts are used to sign-in.

If there is one point to criticize, it is the lack of backup options. Windows Backup supports backing up just the special folders. There is no option to select custom folders, let alone back up an entire drive.

Windows users who want to back up these folders can do so already using OneDrive, which is also available on Windows PCs.

Even File History, which remains available, supports backing up any folder to local drives or network drives.

The Windows Backup app lacks any option to restore files using it in addition. While Windows uses the backups on new PC setups or resets, it is the extent of the feature.

Not surprisingly is the focus on OneDrive as the only backup location, at least currently. All Microsoft account users get some OneDrive storage free of charge, but it is only 5 gigabytes. Microsoft charges a monthly subscription fee if users require more storage. Since OneDrive is the only option, there is little that users can do about that.

Manage Backups

Windows users may open Start > Settings Accounts > Windows Backup to control the backups. There, they may deselect the syncing of preferences and also add or remove folders from the backup process.

Note that these settings are specific to the active PC. There is no option to manage the backups of other Windows PCs from the Settings.

How to remove Windows Backup

Windows Backup is a system component. As such, it is not possible to remove it from the Windows device according to Microsoft.

A better backup alternative

There are quite a few free backup solutions available for Windows. The one that I use is Paragon Backup & Recovery, which ticks all the right boxes. Free, lets you back up files, folders, disks and the operating system, schedule backups and includes recovery options.

It is a full backup solution for Windows. You do need a second hard drive or optical disk device for the backups though, as cloud backups are not supported by it.

Now You: which backup application do you use?

How to bring order to Google Photos Takeout exports automatically

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Google Photos Takeout is a straightforward option to export all Google Photos to a local computer system. It is an excellent option to create a local backup of all photos uploaded to Google Photos or moving to a different provider.

A big problem with the takeout is that the photos are stored in multiple zip files, often hundreds of them. The number of folders depends largely on activity and time. Each zip file contains photos and a JSON file.

While it is possible to extract individual folders or all at once, doing so still leaves the photos in a disorganized state.

Google Photos Takeout Helper

Google Photos Takeout

The open source application comes to the rescue. All it takes is to point the app to a downloaded Google Photos takeout folder for it to do its magic. The application extracts all zip archives, sets timestamps correctly and will put all photos in a single folder or in monthly folders.

You need to download the photos from Google Takeout in the first step. This is done by visiting the Google Takeout site, signing-in, activating “deselect all” at the top to uncheck all export options, and checking the box next to Google Photos on the page.

Select “Next step” to continue and keep all other settings. Activate “create export” and wait for Google to inform you with an email that your download is ready.

A click on each of the download links opens the download page. You may need to authenticate yourself again before the download starts.

Extract all Zip archives. You may need to move them into a single root folder first, if there is more than one archive. The easiest way to do so is to copy all additional Google Photos folder into the first folder, so that all folders are under the same structure (Takeout\Google Photos).

Once all photos have been downloaded and all archives extracted, it is time to switch to Google Photos Takeout Helper.

Using the Helper app

Yearly folders for all photos exported from Google

First step is to download the application from the project’s GitHub repository. Visit it with a click on this link. The app is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. I downloaded the Windows version for this guide.

Run the downloaded file once it is on the local system. Note that you may get a “Windows protected your PC” prompt. This is thrown by SmartScreen, a security feature. The app is not dangerous, but SmartScreen does step in if an app is new or unrecognized by it.

Select “more info” and then “run anyway” to continue. A command prompt window opens with instructions. Press the Enter-key and use the folder browser that opens to pick the Takeout folder.

Once done, press Enter again to select the output folder. This is the folder that all sorted photos are put into.

All photos may be put into a single folder or sorted into year/month folders. Press 1 or 2 to make the selection.

Select what Google Photos Takeout Helper should do with albums in the final step:

  • 0 Shortcut — links album folders to original photos.
  • 1 Duplicate-Copy — puts photos into album folders as well.
  • 2 JSON – puts all photos into a single folder and creates a json file with album information.
  • 3 Nothing — ignore albums, which will ignore archive and trash photos altogether.

If the target folder is not empty, you need to select (1) to delete all files inside, (2) to place photos next to existing files or (3) exit the process.

The process may take a moment to complete. Press the Enter-key to finish the process and close the program window.

Once closed, open the target folder. You should see a folder structure based on your selections. Check the ALL_PHOTOS folder to access them all.

Closing Words

Google Photos Takeout Helper is a useful open source tool to quickly sort all exported photos. While not needed per-se, it may save users lots of time.

windows copilot

How to disable Windows Copilot on Windows 11

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

The following guide offers step-by-step instructions on how to disable Windows Copilot.

In less than two weeks, many Windows 11 users will gain access to Windows Copilot. Microsoft included the new AI-powered assistant in an optional update released in September 2023 already.

On October 10, 2023, Windows 11 users who upgrade their devices to the latest version, will receive Windows Copilot among other changes, courtesy of the fourth Moment update for the operating system.

What is Windows Copilot?

windows copilot

Microsoft describes Windows Copilot in the following way:

Copilot in Windows is an AI-powered intelligent assistant that helps you get answers and inspirations across the web, supports creativity and collaboration, and helps you focus on the tasks at hand.

Windows users may interact with Copilot directly from the Windows desktop. A click on the Copilot icon on the taskbar or pressing Windows-C opens the interface on the right side of the screen.

It looks very much like Bing Chat on first glance. Copilot includes Bing Chat functionality and other AI components.

Users interact with Windows Copilot by voice, text or by sending images, similarly to how interactions with other AI-powered tools happen.

One of Copilot’s greatest strengths is the ability to help users directly in Windows. The functionality is very limited at this stage, but you can use Copilot to turn on dark made, capture a screenshot of any desktop, or snap open windows.

What Copilot can’t do in its current stage is terminate processes, check Windows Defender logs and return research on found threats, or help users troubleshoot issues that they experience. All of this may come at a later stage, but Microsoft is tight-lipped about the functionality.

Privacy and Windows Copilot

Windows Copilot requires an active Internet connection and the tool breaks down when there is none.

Copilot needs to communicate with Microsoft servers. Anything typed, pasted or said is known to Microsoft as a consequence. This is not Microsoft-specific, tools like Google Bard or Claude AI do require Internet connectivity as well.

Windows Copilot is not active by default; this is unlike classic assistants, such as Alexa, which are programmed to listen to commands.

Still, some users may prefer to disable Windows Copilot entirely. There is no option to remove Windows Copilot, even though many tutorials sites suggest that there is an easy way to do so.

A click on Private Statement in the Copilot menu opens the general Microsoft Privacy Statement. Copilot is not mentioned once in the statement.

How to disable Windows Copilot

Windows 11 users have several options when it comes to turning off Windows Copilot on their devices.

Individual users may remove its icon from the Windows taskbar, but that does not shut down Windows Copilot, as it may still be launched using the keyboard shortcut.

Note that there is no option to remove Windows Copilot entirely from the system, without affecting other features. It is not listed under installed Apps.

Removing the Windows Copilot icon from the Windows taskbar

Still, it may be sufficient for some users. Here is how that is done:

  1. Right-click on a blank location on the taskbar and select Taskbar Settings from the menu that opens.
  2. Locate Copilot (preview) or Windows Copilot there and toggle it to Off.

The icon is removed immediately. Toggling the feature to the On state restores it again.

Disable Windows Copilot in the Group Policy Editor

The Group Policy Editor is not available in Windows 11 Home. Home administrators may make the change in the Windows Registry, which is explained in the next section.

Here is how you disable Windows Copilot in the Group Policy Editor:

  1. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows-R to open the Run box.
  2. Type gpedit.msc and press the Enter-key.
  3. Use the folder structure on the left to follow this path: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Copilot.
  4. Double-click on Turn off Windows Copilot.
  5. Set the value from “Not Configured” to “Enabled.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Close the Group Policy Editor.
  8. Restart the PC.

Disable Windows Copilot in the Registry

The very same changes may also be applied to the Windows Registry directly. Here is how that is done:

  1. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows-R to open the Run box.
  2. Type regedit.exe and press the Enter-key.
  3. Confirm the security prompt.
  4. Use the folder structure on the left to navigate the following path: Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsCopilot
    • Note: if a key does not exist, right-click on the previous one and select New > Key. Name it accordingly to create the entire path.
  5. Right-click on WindowsCopilot and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
  6. Name it TurnOffWindowsCopilot.
  7. Double-click on the newly created Dword and change its value to 1.
  8. Close the Registry Editor.
  9. Restart the PC.

Closing Words

The Group Policy Editor and Registry Editor tweaks disable Windows Copilot on the operating system. The icon is removed in the process, the user can’t toggle the icon in Settings anymore, and the keyboard shortcut Windows-C does not work either anymore.

Cloud Content Search: disable it in Windows 11

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Microsoft’s Windows 11 operating system runs local and remote searches when users use the search functionality. A relative recent addition is the ability to find cloud files. Windows Search may return content from OneDrive, Outlook and other Microsoft services alongside local results.

Some Windows users may find cloud search functionality useful, especially if they use OneDrive or Outlook. Others may want to disable the feature, as they may have no need for it or are concerned about privacy.

The operating system’s search uses connected Microsoft, work or school accounts, automatically when users sign-in with those.

Windows 11 users may connect personal or school/work accounts independently of that in the Settings:

  1. Select Start and select Settings, or use the keyboard shortcut Windows-I to open Settings.
  2. Go to Accounts > Email & accounts.
  3. Locate “Accounts used by other apps”.
  4. Select “Add a Microsoft account” to add a personal account.
  5. Select “Add a work or school account” to add an organizational account.

You are asked to provide the username and password for the account to add it.

Here is what happens when Cloud Content Search is enabled

Users who use a personal Microsoft account will see items from OneDrive, Outlook and other Microsoft services in Windows Search. A search for a filename may, for example, return files found on OneDrive.

Additionally, results will be personalized when searching the web or getting web search suggestions in Windows Search. Bing searches in the Windows search box will earn users Microsoft Rewards points.

Work or school accounts connected to Windows 11 may see organizational content returned in Windows searches. This may include content from OneDrive for Business, Outlook, SharePoint and other Microsoft services.

Disabling cloud-based searches in Windows

Cloud Content Search settings in Windows 11

Windows 11 includes options to disable cloud content search functionality. The functionality is enabled by default and users need to become active to turn it off.

The following guide provides step by step instructions on disabling cloud content search in Windows.

  1. Open Start and select Settings, or use the shortcut Windows-I to open Settings.
  2. Select Privacy & Security from the sidebar on the left.
  3. Click on Search permissions.
  4. Two Cloud Content Search options are available:
    • Microsoft account — handles personal account content.
    • Work or School account — for users signed-in with these types of accounts.
  5. Toggle one or both of the options to the Off state.

Windows 11 won’t pull data from remote Microsoft services, such as OneDrive, Bing or Outlook anymore, when turned off.

Windows 10 also includes options to turn off the feature. Here is how that is done on Windows 10 devices:

  1. Select Start and then Settings to open the Settings application.
  2. Select Search from the available categories in the Settings app.
  3. Find Cloud content search.
  4. Toggle Microsoft account and/or Work or School account to Off to disable the feature.

Turning off cloud searches with the Group Policy Editor

Administrators may use the Group Policy Editor to turn off Cloud Content Search for all users of the operating system.

Note: The Group Policy Editor is only available in professional and enterprise / education editions of Windows 11. Windows 11 Home systems need to make the change in the Registry; this is explained further down below.

  1. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows-R to open the run box.
  2. Type gpedit.msc and press the Enter-key to start the Group Policy Editor.
  3. Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.
  4. Locate Allow Cloud Search on the right-side and double-click on the policy.
  5. Change the state from “Not Configured” to “Enabled.
  6. Use the menu under Options to select “Disable Cloud Search” to turn it off.
  7. Select OK to apply the change.
  8. Close the Group Policy Editor.
  9. Restart the PC.

Disabling Cloud Search in the Registry

Home edition users need to make the change in the Registry directly. It applies the same policy.

  1. Open the Start Menu, type regedit.exe and press the Enter-key to launch the Registry Editor.
  2. Confirm the security prompt that Windows displays.
  3. Use the hierarchical structure on the left to go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Policies > Microsoft > Windows > Windows Search
    • If one of the keys is not available, right-click on the previous key and select New > Key. Name it accordingly to create the path.
  4. Search for the Dword AllowCloudSearch on the right side.
    • If it is not there, right-click on Windows Search and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
    • Name it AllowCloudSearch.
  5. Double-click on AllowCloudSearch.
  6. Set its value to 0 to turn off Cloud Search for all users.

After 7 years, Microsoft ends free Windows 7 and 8 upgrades to Windows 10 and 11

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

When Microsoft released the initial version of Windows 10 in 2015 it allowed users to upgrade from Windows 7 and 8 devices to the operating system for free.

Windows 7 and 8 product keys carried over during setup. Upgrades to Windows 10 accepted the key as well.

Microsoft did end the free upgrade option officially in 2016 but the company never made the change on the backend; this meant, that customers could still use their Windows 7 or 8 product keys to install Windows 10 or upgrade to the system without running into licensing issues.

The release of Windows 11 in 2021 did not change that. Customers could use their Windows 7 or 8 product keys to install Windows 11 and activate the operating system. Similarly, those with compatible systems, could also upgrade to Windows 11 from these older versions of Windows.

Microsoft ended support for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 in January 2023. The end of servicing did not affect the ability to use the product keys of these older versions of Windows to install Windows 10 or 11, or to upgrade to these systems.

The free upgrade ride ends

The situation changed this week. German site Deskmodder was the first to report about the change. Microsoft published new information on its Device Partner Center website that confirms that the company has stopped the free upgrade path.

Microsoft writes:

Microsoft’s free upgrade offer for Windows 10 / 11 ended July 29, 2016. The installation path to obtain the Windows 7 / 8 free upgrade is now removed as well. Upgrades to Windows 11 from Windows 10 are still free.

In other words: Windows 7 and 8 systems upgrades to Windows 10 or 11 are still permitted and not blocked. Product keys of these older systems may not be accepted, however.

Windows users need to purchase a new product key for Windows 10 or 11 to activate the operating systems in this case.

Neowin ran a quick test and discovered that the product keys could be used to activate Windows 11 version 22H2 or earlier, but not newer versions of Windows 11 anymore. The situation is likely similar on Windows 10.

Affected users might try and upgrade their devices to these earlier versions of Windows 10 or 11, as it still seems to work at the time of writing. Microsoft could end this option at any time in the future though.

Microsoft notes that upgrades from Windows 10 to 11 continue to remain free. It is likely that the company will change this after Windows 10 reaches end of servicing in October 2025.

Buying a Windows 10 or 11 license

Microsoft charges $139 for Windows 11 Home and $199 for Windows 11 Professional on its Store. Windows 10 is no longer sold there.

Retail stores may offer licenses for cheaper, but usually not by much. Another option is to buy product keys from key resellers. Keys cost around $20 when bought from these.

You can check out eBay and other marketplaces. Key reselling may not be allowed in all regions and markets though.

Checking the activation status

Multiple options exist to check the activation status of a Windows device. One of the easiest options is the following one:

  1. Use the keyboard shortcut Windows+R to open the Run box.
  2. Type slmgr.vbs –xpr.
  3. Activate the Enter-key on the keyboard.

Windows returns the activation status in a small popup window. You may also run this command from Terminal or Command Prompt windows.